Potato-digger.



G. E. CAMP.

POTATO BIGGER.

APPLICATION FILED FBB.15, 1905. RBNBWED 121113.13, 1909.

9 1 9,28 1 Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oiaEioE.

GEORGE E. CAMP, OF UTICA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TOS'IIANDARD HARROW COMPANY` Ol` UTICA, YORK.

POTATO-DIGGER. V

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 20, 1909.

Application led February 15, 1905, Serial No. 245,661'. Renewed February 13. 1909. Serial No. 477,765.

To all whom it mii'yconcem:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. CAMP, of Utica, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and j useful Im rovements in Potato-Diggers; and

I do here y declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters ofreference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

The object of my present invention is to A provide certain improvements in otato diggers, whereby provision is made or mount- ,ing the carrier 1n`such`manner that stoppage or breakage, incident to stones becoming caught between the carrier and the rollers or wheels on which the carrier is mounted, is-

reduced to a minimum or obviated. Y

The potato digger to which my im rovements are adaptedis of that class w erein the earth and potatoes are raised by a plow and` delivered onto a belt carrier, consisting of rods through which the dirt and foreign matter sifts, while the potato is carried over and dropped at the rear end of the machine. In the particular class of machine shown and described in the specification, there are two carriers, one main forward carrier and a rear delivery carrier. These are of similar construction. Heretofre much diliiculty has been experienced with this class of machines incident to stones, rocks and other hard substance being caught between the rods or bars of the carrier and the rollers or wheels on which the carrier is mounted, resulting in frequent stoppage of the machine or in breakage. Frequent stoppage incident to such a cause in the o eration of this class of machines, as well as aliisolute break-downs, are matters of serious objection and fault.

In the drawings Figure 1 shows a. perspective view of a machine of my improved construction, and in which the improvements herein referred to are provided. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 show etails particularly of the improvement in question.-

Briefly described the machine in question consists of two main side boards 1\-1, mount ed upon an axle-tree-2 carried by supporting and driving wheels 3, and having a rear seciiimiy to the machine, and to the fro-nt end 6o of the machine is attached a draft yoke 6 adapted to be connected to a small truck 7 to which the draft animals are attached. The draft oke 6 is forked at the rear end and pivota ly connected to the body of the machine on a crossr shaft or rod S.

The draft yoke 6 is connected with a rock shaftand cranks thereon on the body by means of links 9, and a lever 10 is rovided whereby the relative relation of t e draft yoke `and the body of the machine may be regulated, whereby the plow 5 can be raised above the ground, as shown in Fig. 1, oi' lowered so. as to enter the ground.

The main carrier -12 consists of a belt of 75 bars extending substantially the full length of the side bars or main frame of the machine, and at the rear end passing around sprocket wheels 1,3-13 on the shaft 14, s aiming the rear end of the machine. 'l` wheels and shaft 14 are driven by means of the piuions 15, on its respective ends engag ing with Vlarge gear wheels 16 provided on the traction wheels 3. The carrier belt 12 at its forward end rollers 18 of conoi al form'. As shown vin Fig. 3, these rollers are mounted' to rotate freely onbushings 19 provided on the lcross rod 8 before mentioned. The bushings 19 are confined between the sides 1 of the ma- `90,

chine and the spacing sleeve 20 extending between the bushings 19 on the opposite side of the machine. v

It will be noted that the rods or bars 1.2a

of the carrier 12 rest on the roller 18 close tol 95 its base end, and that the form thereof causes the bar and face of the roller to ra idly separate as they yextend toward the middle ofthe machine. Whenrastone or other hard substance is cau ht between the carrier and the 10D roller 18, it will tend to throw off the carrier. This is permittedito some extent by a certain amount of slack provided in the carrier belt. When ithas proceeded to some extent, however, the pinch betweenthe inner side of the' 105 chine andI obviating any stoppage or break- 11:

e sprocket.

asses around a pair .of

age, 'lhere may ne provided aroundthebase j construction shown in Fig. 4 and just deol' the conoidal roller 18 a flange portion 18, o hir-h tends to guide the carrier and prevent the roller shifting to a position toward the middle of the machine.

ln the rear section of the machine there is provided the carrier 25, similar in -construction to the carrier in the forward section, except that it preferably has its bars spaced farther apart. This` carrier passes around sprocket heels 26 in the rear end of the rear section,which sprocket wheels are mounted on a shaft 1 7 and driven by a sprocket ci sin 2S from the` shaft 14 before mentioned. saine form ot' conoidal roller or bearing i i8 may be provided for the forward end of the carrier to pass around, but have preferrcd to show herein a modified forni of construction, which consists of a iixed eonoidal bearing secured to the side or frame plate 4 by a bolt 5 passing through a cross bar in the base'thereof and through the sideV plate et. l'he base portion of the Dart 30 may be slightly reduced, as indicated at 30, to rel noidal rollers, and a carrier belt cons1sting of reive the ring 3], which is free to rotate on the )icce 30.

'l'lie outer ends of the cross bars or rods 25a of the carrier 25 will rest in the main on the ring 31,* although they may also rest on the part 3() directly. In the ordinary operation ol the machine, the parts being full of and covered with dirt, the ringT 31 will ordinarily not run with the carrier belt, but will remain stationary mostly, except when` a strain is put on the carrier belt, and the belt will slip around, the two parts 3() and 3l standing substantially still. However, when a strain is placed on the carrier belt either by an obstruction getting partially in between the belt and the bearing or otherwise, the ring 3] may make a few revolutions until the device `gets in normal working order. l also contemplate securing the art 3() by means 'of a bolt or otherwise, so tliat it may be free to rotate, particularly when an excessive strain is placed on the carrier. This form of scribed operates substantially as that here g tofore described; that is to say, when an obstruction, as a. stone or` other foreign substance, gets pinched between the bars of the carrier and the inclined face of the bearing, it will be thrown out toward the middle of the machine readily freeing itself from such obstruction. Y `What l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combina-tion in a potato digger of an open belt carrier and a pair of conoidal i rollers on the conoidal faces of which the edges of the carrier run, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination in a potato digger of a frame having a pair of inwardly projecting conoidal rollers and an open carrier belt, the opposite edges of which run on the conoidal faces of said conoidal rollers, respectively, substantiallyT as set forth.

3. The combination in a potato digger of a frame, a pair of inwardly projecting oochains and cross rods, the edges of which belt respectively run on conoidal faces of.

said conoidal rollers, substantially as set forth.

4. The combina-tion in a potato digger of a frame having a cross red extending between the opposite sides of the frame, the bearing sleeves 19 and the spacing sleeve 20 provided on said cross rod, the inwardly facing conoidal rollers 1S having flanges 18a and the carrier belt consisting of rods and chains, the opposite edges of which belt respectively run on the conoidal l aces of said conoidal rollers, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I haveaixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 8th day ofFebruary 1905.

GEORGE E. CAMP.

1Vllitnesses:

EMMA S. Hasse, S. l. DE Vnva. 

